Eliot Strange and the Prince of the Apocalypse

32) Prayer for a Hero

We go to Oakdale Cemetery where Grandpa George is buried and lay Nana beside her husband of forty-three years. Once she is buried, I ask Steven if he wants me to say a prayer. He nods.

"Let us pray," I say, and then I pause because the words are stuck in my throat, and they won't come out. My mouth is dry, and then it gets all wet very suddenly, like it does right before you throw up. I look at Steven. The silence is not sacred or hushed or reverent or any of those things. The silence is just awkward like everyone is holding their breath and wishing they were somewhere else.

"May I?" asks Torin.

Steven nods again, and Torin prays:

"Our dear Heavenly Father, we ask that you keep an eye out for Steven's Nana as she nears your pearly gates. We pray that you welcome this tiny brave hero and the others who died beside her today into your loving embrace. We pray that she is reunited with Grandpa George, and that they are walking hand-in-hand in your beautiful paradise. We ask that Steven and his friends find solace knowing that Nana gave her life so that others may live. Please bless us, that when we grieve for Nana, we also recognize that this is a celebration, and that Nana has finally gone home to the house of her Father, our Lord and Savior. Help us Dear Lord, that in the coming days, we may find the same courage as Nana. God bless us as we smite our enemies and rid the world of evil. In thy name, we pray. Amen.

"Amen," say we all.

After we leave the cemetery and get back to the school, Clay says he is going back to the American Legion where he is going "to get his buddies to join up". Before he leaves, he asks to speak to Torin.

"Got some intel for you sir," he says.

"Sir?" asks Torin.

"Yes sir, I heard about your army. I'm ready to follow you. You seem like the leader we been needing."

Torin looks like a reluctant leader, but he walks off with Clay to listen. After he talks to Torin briefly and before he leaves, Clay shakes Steven's hand.

"Your Nana was a hero, son. I am proud to have known her." He salutes Steven.

"Thank you," says Steven.

After Clay leaves to recruit his friends, we help load the buses with the surviving hostages from the library. They are headed west with the children. Cindy refuses to go with them.

"No way," she says. "I done lost my bestest friend, Myrtle. I am not losing my new friend, Eliot." She cries so hard, I can't bear to put her on the bus.

When the bus pulls off without her, Cindy blows kisses to the children. "Have fun on the field trip," she yells. "I love you. Be careful."

We all wave to the children until they are out of sight as they head off to what I pray is safety and a new home where they will be loved.

Leia and Adam are sent on a mission. They are to find Editor Ned and let him know what happened at the library. They are to tell him about the teenagers and the Vietnam veteran and the granny who fought the enemy and stood up to the One Nation Army. Editor Ned will let the world know how our heroes died. He will let them know that we are going to fight and anyone who feels the same - come join the Prince's Army.

When the sun goes down, and it is quiet because the kids are all gone, we meet around a campfire in the courtyard of the school where me and my friends used to eat lunch everyday before the world ended. I look around at those left. We are what my dad used to call "a motley crew". We are a group of unconnected, unorganized citizens from different backgrounds. We are a rag-tag bunch for sure.

We are sad and we are beaten, but not for long because we are mad. We have a leader, and we are ready for a fight. We are ready to make a stand. The One Nation Army will not take this town without a fight.

And they can't have our prince either.